Apparatus for cleaning and tensioning material



M y 1933. A. LE BOUTILLIER APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND TENSIONING MATERIAL Filed March 12, 1931- F is. Z.

/'N VENTOI? A. LE50ur/LL/ER A TTURNEV ing, wherein Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUSTIN LE BOUTILLIER, OIE BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WmTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND TENSIONING MATERIAL .Application filed March 12, 1931. Serial No. 521,996.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning and tensioning material, and more particularly to apparatus for cleaning and tensioning wire, ribbon or other elongated material.

It is desirable, in some instances, to clean wires or other materials before performing certain operations thereon, and to tension the materials while performing such opera-,

tions. For example, in the manufacture of rubber insulated wires, it is not only desirable to clean the wires before applying the rubber insulating material thereto, but it is also important that the wires be properly tensioned during the application of the similar material spaced along the wires and carried on a pivoted self-centering member, each wire also being engaged by an opposing pair of similar wiping members spaced from the first wiping members and carried upon pivoted spring pressed membrs, whereby the pressure of the wiping members upon the wires is equalized and the wires are thus maintained under equal tension.

It is believed that a complete'understanding of the invention will be had from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying draw- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a wire cleaning and tensioning apparatus embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan section on line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

'Referring now to the drawing, wherein insulating machine like reference characters designate the same parts in the severalviews, the numeral indicates a portion of a vertical supporting standard upon which asupport illustrated in the form of a horizontal plate 11 is pivotally supported intermediate its ends, as at 12. A supporting member illustrated in the form of a yoke 14 is pivoted at 15 to one end of the plate 11, and carried at the opposite end of the plate is a pair of spaced wiping and tensioning members 16--16 consisting of strips of leather or other suitable material. The members 16 extend through spaced rectangular slots in the plate 11 and are secured therein by removable wedge shaped pins 1717, whereby they are vertically adjustable with respect to the plate.

Secured at one end to opposite sides of the pivoted yoke 14 is a pair of leaf springs 1818 which extend along and are spaced from opposite sides of the pivoted plate 11. Each of these leaf springs is formed with spaced jaws 19-19 for receiving and yieldably clamping therein a pair of wiping and tensioning members 20-20 similar to the 'members 16. The jaws 19 are constructed so as to permit vertical adjustment of wiping members 20 with respect to the supporting springs 18 in the same manner as members 16-16; that is, by removable wedge-shaped pins similar to pins 1717. It will be observed that wiping members 20 are offset or staggered with respect to wiping members 16 and that the pivoted plate 11 is notched as at 22,to permit the movement of wiping members 20 toward wiping members 16 under the tension of springs 18.

The operation of the above described apparatus is as follows: A pair of wires .25. drawn from a supply source (not shown) pass along opposite sides of wiping 7 members 16 and between wiping members 16 and 20before they are delivered to the (not shown). Each two opposed wiping members 20 are associated with a particular wiping member 16 as a coacting triad operating on both wires 25. The two members of each of the three possible pairs in such atriad have relative movability of position under the pressure of 7 connection 12 of the supporting plate 11, and

therefore, the two wires are constantly maintained under equal tension. When desired,

the wiping members may readily be adjusted with respect to their supports to present 15 a new wiping surface to the wires.

It is to be understood that the invention. is not limited to the s ecific embodiment thereof herein illustrate and described, except insofar as is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for cleaning and tensioning wires, a rigid vertical supporting standard, a supporting plate pivotally sup- 2 ported intermediate its ends onthe vertical supporting standard, a wire engaging member carried at one end thereof, a supportin yoke pivoted at the opposite end thereo and means carried by the yoke for supporting a pair of spaced wire engaging members and for yieldably urging said members toward the first mentioned member.

2. In an apparatus for cleaning and tensioning wires, a rigid vertical supporting standard, a supporting plate pivotally supported intermediate its ends on the vertical supporting standard, a wiping member carried at one end thereof, a supporting yoke pivoted at the opposite end of said plate, a pair of spaced leaf springs secured to and extending from the supporting yoke, and a wiping member carried by each of the leaf springs and yieldably movable toward the first mentioned wiping member.

46 3. In an apparatus for cleaning and tensioning wires, a supporting plate pivoted intermediate its ends, a pair of spaced wiping members carried at one end thereof, a supporting oke pivotally carried at the op- 50 posite end t ereof, a pair of leaf springs secured to the' supporting yoke and extending therefrom along opposite sides of the said wiping members, and a pair of wiping members carried by each of the leaf springs,

ylieldably movable toward the first mentioned wiping members, and ofiset with respect thereto.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day of February A. D.,

AUSTIN LE BOUTILLIER. 

